Sparks flew at Wednesday night’s New York City mayoral debate as Andrew Cuomo took aim at Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani, claiming the socialist candidate wouldn’t stand a chance against President Donald Trump.
“He thinks he’s a kid and he’s going to knock him on his tuchus,” Cuomo said, warning that Mamdani’s inexperience would spell disaster for the city when dealing with the president.
The independent candidate and former governor argued that facing Trump requires both strength and savvy. “It is a balance, but you’re going to have to be adversarial when you need to. But you want to cooperate to get good things done in this city, and you need federal help,” Cuomo explained, casting himself as the only contender capable of managing that tightrope.
When asked about Trump’s aggressive governing style, Cuomo insisted the only way to handle him was head-on. Calling the president “hyper-aggressive,” he said New York’s next mayor must be tough enough to push back while knowing when to strike a deal.
Mamdani didn’t let Cuomo’s remarks slide, firing back with biting criticism. “We heard from Donald Trump’s puppet himself, Andrew Cuomo,” Mamdani shot back, accusing his opponent of being too cozy with the president.
“You can turn on TV any day of the week, and you will hear Donald Trump share that his pick for mayor is Andrew Cuomo, and he wants Andrew Cuomo to be the mayor, not because it will be good for New Yorkers, but because it will be good for him,” Mamdani fumed, framing Cuomo as a stooge for Trump’s interests rather than the city’s.
The Queens assemblyman said he would work with Trump where possible — especially on affordability — but vowed to resist him “on immigration crackdowns and other hot-button issues.”
While the two front-runners traded jabs, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa took a different tone, criticizing both opponents for turning their campaigns into contests of toughness against Trump. “My adversaries have decided to bump chests with President Trump to prove who’s more macho,” he quipped.
Sliwa argued that fighting Trump is a losing strategy for the city. “You can’t beat Trump. He holds most of the cards. He has already cut federal funding for Medicaid, for the SNAP program and is threatening cut funds for NYCHA. So if you all of a sudden going to get adversarial, you’re going to lose. And who gets hurt? The people of New York City with Trump, it’s always the ‘art of the deal.’”
The showdown, held at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, marked the final debate before the November 4 general election. Early voting begins this weekend and will run through Sunday, November 2, setting the stage for what could be one of the most unpredictable races in recent New York City history.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump has unleashed a powerful new round of sanctions targeting Russia’s top two oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, following what he described as Vladimir Putin’s failure to negotiate in “an honest and forthright manner” over Ukraine.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the measures on Wednesday, saying the administration had reached the end of its patience after months of stalled diplomacy. “Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine,” Bessent said in a statement, adding that the department stands ready “to take further action if necessary” to back Trump’s efforts to bring the conflict to an end.
The announcement came just a day after the White House canceled a planned Trump-Putin summit in Budapest, a meeting that had been billed as a potential breakthrough but was scrapped due to what U.S. officials called a total lack of progress in ceasefire negotiations.
Bessent, speaking to Fox Business shortly before the sanctions were unveiled, described the move as “one of the largest sanctions that we have done against the Russian Federation.” He explained that while the president had initially pursued diplomacy, his patience had worn thin after seeing no signs of compromise from Moscow.
“President Putin has not come to the table in an honest and forthright manner, as we’d hoped,” Bessent said, revealing that Trump had reached the decision to escalate pressure after their last phone conversation six days earlier.
According to Bessent, Trump’s frustration had been growing since his in-person meeting with Putin in Alaska this past August. “President Trump walked away when he realized that things were not moving forward,” the Treasury chief said. “There have been behind-the-scenes talks, but I believe that the president is disappointed at where we are in these talks.”
The European Union quickly followed Washington’s lead, announcing fresh penalties of its own. The EU’s latest package includes a ban on importing Russian liquefied natural gas by 2027, the blacklisting of oil tankers aiding Moscow’s exports, and travel restrictions on Russian diplomats.
Trump, who returned to the White House in January, had previously held back from new economic measures against Russia, insisting he wanted to give diplomacy a chance. But after three and a half years of bloodshed and no ceasefire in sight, the president shifted gears dramatically.
Only last week, Trump had publicly expressed optimism after speaking with Putin, claiming the two had agreed to meet in Budapest within two weeks to discuss peace. At the same time, he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider territorial concessions while rejecting Kyiv’s requests for long-range Tomahawk missiles.
By Tuesday, Trump reversed course again, saying he didn’t want to attend a “wasted meeting” — effectively calling off the planned summit and signaling that his approach toward Moscow had hardened.
The financial markets reacted immediately to the news of the sanctions. Oil prices jumped in after-hours trading, with both WTI and Brent crude rising more than 1% as traders braced for potential disruptions to Russian energy exports.
{Matzav.com}
Zohran Mamdani, the outspoken anti-Semitic Muslim socialist leading the New York City mayoral race, came under intense fire tonight as his rivals, Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, ripped into him during their final debate. Both opponents mocked his “fantasy” proposals and took aim at his lack of experience, with one quipping that his résumé “could fit on a cocktail napkin.”
The debate quickly devolved into a slugfest, with Cuomo and Sliwa taking turns going after Mamdani’s record and his sweeping promises. Heated exchanges broke out over issues ranging from anti-Semitism and Mamdani’s anti-Israel statements to the question of mayoral authority over the city’s public schools.
President Trump’s name also surfaced repeatedly throughout the night. Mamdani used the opportunity to lash out at Cuomo, branding him the president’s “puppet,” while Cuomo dismissed the claim and accused Mamdani of peddling empty rhetoric and unworkable socialist dreams.
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
Construction crews began tearing into the East Wing of the White House this week as work officially kicked off on President Donald Trump’s long-anticipated $250 million ballroom project — a massive addition that will nearly double the size of the historic residence.
The new 90,000-square-foot space is expected to host up to 999 guests and, according to Trump, won’t cost the public “a dime.” He said the entire project is being paid for by “many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.”
Initially, Trump and his staff had insisted that the existing structure would remain untouched during construction. “It’ll be near it but not touching it,” the president said earlier this year, while his press secretary Karoline Leavitt added, “Nothing will be torn down.” Those statements didn’t hold up — by Monday, bulldozers were dismantling the East Wing’s façade to make room for the enormous expansion.
The White House later clarified that portions of the East Wing — traditionally home to the first lady’s offices and social staff — are being “modernized” as part of the broader renovation. The East Wing, which faces the Treasury Department across East Executive Avenue, serves as the public entrance for most events and tours.
Trump has long complained that the existing East Room is far too small for major state functions, seating only about 200 guests. “We need a real entertaining space,” he told guests at a recent donor dinner. He has also bristled at past presidents hosting elegant events in temporary outdoor tents on the South Lawn, calling the practice “unbefitting the White House.”
According to renderings released by the administration, the ballroom will reflect the lavish style of Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Palm Beach estate. It will feature bulletproof windows, ornate chandeliers, and gilded details reminiscent of European palaces. The president noted that the original design for 650 guests was expanded to fit 999 — “big enough to hold an inauguration if needed,” he said with a grin.
To fund the project, Trump claims no taxpayer money is being used. Donors from across the country have contributed, and the White House held an East Room dinner last week to thank contributors. Among the sources of funding is $22 million from YouTube, part of a settlement from a 2021 lawsuit Trump filed against the company. Officials have yet to disclose exactly how much Trump himself is investing.
While the president is moving full speed ahead, the National Capital Planning Commission — the federal body responsible for approving major building projects in Washington — has not formally signed off. Trump appointed top aide Will Scharf to lead the commission, and Scharf has argued that demolition doesn’t require review, only new construction.
Trump envisions the existing East Room serving as a reception hall once the ballroom opens, where guests will “mingle, sip cocktails, and enjoy hors d’oeuvres before being called into the ballroom for dinner.” A wall of windows will be removed to connect the two spaces.
The White House expects the ballroom to be finished before Trump’s second term ends in January 2029, an ambitious target for such a sweeping project.
The new addition joins a long list of presidential modifications to the mansion. Trump has already redecorated the Oval Office with portraits and gold accents, turned the Rose Garden into a stone patio, and installed new flagpoles on both lawns. He also renovated the Lincoln Bedroom’s bathroom and replaced flooring in the South Lawn hallway with marble.
Trump’s aides argue that his expansion follows in a centuries-old tradition of presidents reshaping the White House. Jefferson added the colonnades, Monroe the South Portico, and Theodore Roosevelt the West Wing. Franklin D. Roosevelt built the East Wing, while Harry Truman oversaw a complete gut renovation when the structure was deemed unsafe in 1948.
{Matzav.com}
After a push from President Donald Trump earlier this year, Coca-Cola has officially begun selling its iconic cola made with real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup in select parts of the United States.
A company representative confirmed to CNN that the rollout has started in “select” American cities and retailers, marking the fulfillment of an agreement Trump announced over the summer when he said the beverage giant had “agreed” to use cane sugar in its U.S. cola production.
Coca-Cola’s cane sugar formula is hardly new overseas. Many versions sold abroad—such as in Mexico—already use the ingredient, and several other drinks under the company’s umbrella, including Simply lemonade, Gold Peak iced tea, and Costa canned coffee, are already sweetened with cane sugar domestically.
The shift also aligns with the stance of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has repeatedly condemned high-fructose corn syrup as a harmful additive. The ingredient, long a staple in American sodas due to its lower cost, has faced growing criticism over health concerns and its link to obesity.
While some consumers may welcome the nostalgic taste of sugar-based Coke, nutrition experts have long cautioned that both sweeteners carry health risks. As one previous CNN report noted, soda “isn’t healthy, whether it is made with cane sugar or corn syrup.”
The new rollout comes as Coca-Cola leans into a diversified product lineup emphasizing “better-for-you” drinks, including flavored waters, teas, and low- or zero-sugar options. The company recently relaunched its BodyArmor line and continues to see strong sales from its Smartwater brand.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar remains one of its biggest success stories. The company said the product’s global volume surged 14% last quarter, driving stock prices up more than 3% in early Tuesday trading.
{Matzav.com}
Just hours before the final mayoral debate, a coalition of over 650 Reform and Conservative “rabbis” from across the United States issued a public letter voicing grave concern about the implications of a Zohran Mamdani victory for New York’s Jewish population.
The letter, distributed by the Jewish Majority, included 121 “rabbis” from New York State, more than half of them based in New York City.
“We are writing in our personal capacities to declare that we cannot remain silent in the face of rising anti-Zionism and its political normalization throughout our nation,” the “rabbis “declared in the statement.
The signatories took aim at Mamdani’s record and rhetoric, charging that his refusal to denounce violent anti-Israel slogans and his repeated delegitimization of the Jewish state have emboldened antisemitism in the public sphere. “When public figures like New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani refuse to condemn violent slogans, deny Israel’s legitimacy, and accuse the Jewish state of genocide, they, in the words of New York Board of Rabbis president Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, ‘Delegitimize the Jewish community and encourage and exacerbate hostility toward Judaism and Jews.’”
Among those who signed the document were Rabbi Joshua Davidson of Temple Emanu-El, Rabbi David Gelfand of Temple Israel, Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz of Kehilath Jeshurun, Rabbi David Ingber of Romemu and 92NY, and Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, who also serves as president of the New York Board of Rabbis.
The letter also highlighted the words of Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue, who warned that the progressive Democrat represents a clear and present danger. The rabbi had recently stated that Mamdani is a “danger to the security of the New York Jewish community.”
In his sermon, Rabbi Cosgrove underscored that Israel and Jewish self-determination are inseparable from Jewish identity. “Zionism, Israel, Jewish self-determination—these are not political preferences or partisan talking points. They are constituent building blocks and inseparable strands of my Jewish identity,” he said. “To accept me as a Jew but to ask me to check my concern for the people and state of Israel at the door is a nonsensical proposition and an offensive one, no different than asking me to reject God, Torah, mitzvot, or any other pillar of my faith.”
The signatories made clear that Jewish pride and safety are not up for debate. “We will not accept a culture that treats Jewish self-determination as a negotiable ideal or Jewish inclusion as something to be ‘granted.’ The safety and dignity of Jews in every city depend on rejecting that false choice,” the letter stated.
Calling for unity, the rabbis urged voters of all backgrounds to take a stand in the upcoming election. “We call on all Americans who value peace and equality to participate fully in the democratic process in order to stand up for candidates who reject antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric, and who affirm Israel’s right to exist in peace and security,” they wrote.
Their message concluded with a plea for solidarity: “Now is the time for everyone to unite across political and moral divides, and to reject the language that seeks to delegitimize our Jewish identity and our community.”
{Matzav.com}
Three months after Israel’s High Court of Justice ordered the Chief Rabbinate to open its rabbinical exams to women, the rabbinate has petitioned the court for a new hearing on the matter, while signaling partial compliance by allowing women to take certain tests, Times of Israel reports.
In a legal document filed Sunday, the rabbinate wrote, “The chief rabbis’ position is that there are relevant differences between men and women regarding the possibility of receiving rabbinical ordination or qualifications, as well as in matters of Torah study.” Still, it acknowledged that “there is no obstacle for women to study certain subjects, including, first and foremost, laws relating to everyday life.” The statement added, “In accordance with this position, the chief rabbis believe that there is also no obstacle for women to be tested by the Chief Rabbinate in some of the aforementioned exams on these laws.”
The rabbinate cited halachic areas such as Shabbos and taharas hamishpachah as examples of topics open to female examinees. It also requested that the court delay implementing the earlier decision until another hearing can be held and new guidelines are established.
That request immediately drew criticism from women’s rights petitioners, who opposed any postponement of the ruling. Such hearings are rarely granted, making the rabbinate’s petition an uphill legal effort.
The Chief Rabbinate’s exams are the gateway to official rabbinic recognition in Israel. Applicants must pass at least six rigorous tests covering the main areas of halacha, including kashrus, Shabbos, and taharas hamishpachah. Those who complete the full series earn the Yoreh Yoreh certification, which can carry economic and professional benefits, including eligibility for certain public-sector jobs and salary enhancements equivalent to an academic degree.
The legal battle over women’s eligibility to take these exams began in 2019, when five female Torah scholars and three advocacy organizations—focused on advancing women’s and religious rights—petitioned the High Court. They argued that the rabbinate’s exams, being publicly funded, must be open to all qualified candidates regardless of gender. Previous attempts to create equivalent state-sanctioned alternatives through the Religious Affairs or Labor ministries had failed.
In July, the High Court ruled in favor of the petitioners, declaring that women must be allowed to register for the rabbinate’s tests. Despite that decision, the rabbinate has not yet opened registration for the next round of exams scheduled for next month and has now asked permission to conduct those tests under the old regulations.
“This is a request that raises shameful arguments regarding the status of women and their ability to study and engage in Torah,” said Rabbi Seth Farber, head of the ITIM religious rights organization, one of the main petitioners. “These claims shame the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and risk setting us back by years, and undermining the revolution in women’s Torah study.”
Among the original petitioners are Farber’s wife, Michelle Cohen Farber; Avital Engelberg, head of Yeshivat Maharat’s Israeli branch; Shlomit Flint, a Talmud teacher at Midreshet Be’er; Rabbanit Sarah Segal-Katz; and two advocacy groups, the Rackman Center for the Advancement of Women’s Status and the Kolech Religious Women Forum.
Segal-Katz told Ynet that the rabbinate’s new request ignores the spirit of the court’s ruling. “The Chief Rabbinate’s request for an additional hearing pushes us backward,” she said. “Even the attempt to present the distinction based on whether women are exempt from some [Torah] commandments does not justify preventing them from learning the subjects or being tested on them.”
The High Court has yet to decide whether to reopen the case, but the rabbinate’s stance has reignited a debate over women’s access to advanced Torah scholarship—and over how far the state’s religious authorities are willing to go in recognizing it.
{Matzav.com}
In a freewheeling Rose Garden speech, President Donald Trump compared his record to that of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, while boasting about his “Walk of Fame” addition outside the White House.
“Hey, they didn’t put out eight wars, nine coming,” he said. “We put out eight wars, and the ninth is coming, believe it or not.”
Trump, gesturing proudly toward the lineup of presidential portraits stretching from Washington to himself, admitted that even he would have to yield first place to the nation’s founding father. Still, the self-congratulation didn’t stop there.
The president then told the audience about a TV commentator who had once ranked him third behind Washington and Lincoln.
“I got extremely angry at this man,” Trump, 79, admitted.
He didn’t clarify who the commentator was, though Trump made a similar claim earlier this year in a Fox interview with Bret Baier, where he said someone told him that even a Washington-Lincoln ticket couldn’t defeat him.
Looking out over the audience, Trump called to Sen. John Thune, joking about his place in presidential history.
“It’s gonna be, it’s gonna be tough to beat—Mr. Senator—it’s gonna be—John—it’s gonna be tough to beat Washington and Lincoln, but we’re gonna give it a try.“
Trump then returned to one of his favorite boasts — claiming credit for having “ended eight wars,” a point he raised to bolster his self-comparison with America’s most revered leaders.
Despite his claims, historians continue to rate Trump near the bottom of presidential rankings. In C-SPAN’s 2021 survey, he placed fourth from last, while Lincoln and Washington took the top two spots. And in 2024, members of the American Political Science Association ranked Trump dead last.
His assertion of “ending eight wars” has also been widely debunked. Analysts note that many of the conflicts he cites, like those in the Congo or between Israel and Hamas, have continued, while others he names — including Serbia and Kosovo or Egypt and Ethiopia — weren’t wars to begin with.
The Rose Garden event had been billed as a celebration of the East Wing’s demolition to make way for Trump’s new $200 million White House ballroom. But the ceremony quickly turned into a mix of grandstanding and score-settling.
At one point, Trump took aim at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, mocking him for being criticized by “AOC plus 3,” his mocking label for the progressive members of “The Squad.” He then veered into a familiar anecdote about asking Sudan’s president to “take Rep. Ilhan Omar back.”
{Matzav.com}
